Sifting attachment for boxes.



E. 0. DE VRIES. SIFTTNG ATTACHMENT FOR BOXES;

. APPLICATION FTLED DEC-l4. 1915.

' lllli EMMA 0. DE VRIES, F OHICAGQ, ILLINOIS.

SIFTING ATTACHMENT FOR BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 191.7.

Application filed December 14, 1915. Serial No. 66,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA 0. Dn' VRIES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at in closed position.

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sifting Attachments for Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a sifting attachinent for boxes or cartons for containing granulated or powdered materials, such as cereals, salt, cleaning powders, etc., and among the objects in view is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive device adapted to be attached to a box or carton whereby the contents will be sifted when being shakenfrom the box and thus subdivided and prevented from being discharged in a lumpy condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which will form a closure for the box when not in use and prevent access of dust, dirt or vermin to the contents.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following de-' scription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the novel construction of the attachment and in itsv combination with a box or carton, all as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings and pointed out specifically in the appended claims.

. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the attachment.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view.

' Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank used for the construction of the attachment.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a box .or carton showing the application thereto of the attachment, the latter being Fig.7 is a perspective viewof a portion of a box or carton showing the position assumed by the attachment when it is desired to remove the contents from the box, the latter being shown in inverted position.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a box showing the opening provided for the reception of the attachment.

' In carrying out my invention I provlde a blank 1, which may be of metal or stifi' paper or cardboard, said blank comprising a portion 2 of substantially rectangular form and an integral portion 3 which may also be of rectangular form. but preferably has a slightly curved edge 4.

Integral with the 'portlon' 3 of the blank 'arethe lateral wing portions 5, each of which is shaped to provide a curved edge 6 extending between points 7 and 8. Each wing 5 has an integral portion or tab 9 which is provided with a straight edge 10 extending between points 10 and 11 and a straight edge, 13 extending between points 8 and 12. On either side where the portions 2 and 3 join the blank is provided with a notch 16. The portion 2 of the blank is provided with a series of perforations 17 of any desired size according to the materials to be sifted and, if desired, I may provide a narrow slit in' lieu of. said perforations when materials such as cereals are to be sifted.

The blank constructed as above described is adapted to'be bent to form the sifting attachment and to this end the wings 5 are bent along the dotted lines-18 over onto portion 3 until they lie flat against the latter. That portion of each wing 5 comprised between dotted lines 18 and 19 and lying against the portion 3 is glued or pasted to the latter.

The wings are then bent in a reverse direction or outwardly along the lines'19 until said wings assume a positlon at right angles to the portion 3. The tabs or extended portions 9 are then bent outwardly along the lines 20 until they are at right angles to the remaining portion of the wings. The portion 2 is then bent along the line 21 until said portion lies against the wings 5. The tabs 9 are then glued or pasted to the lateral portions of portion 2 to more firmly hold the latter in its bent position, 2'. e. lying against the edges of the wings 5.

It will be observed that when the blank has been bent into shape in the manner hereinabove described, a sifting attachment will be produced which may be inserted within the top'of a box or carton. The device is somewhat of a trough shape formed by the portions 2, 3, bent to form an angle, and the sides of the trough-like device being constituted by thewings 5, and said device also having laterally. extending portions 21, 22-, constituted by the lateral ends of the portions 2 and 3 beyond the wings 5. The

' to be somewhat less than the depth. of the portion 2 of the blank. It will, of course, be understood that the width of the slits 24, 25, will vary according to the thickness of the material of which the attachment 1s made and are not to be made any wider than is necessary to just permit of insertlon of the attachment.

When attaching the device to a box, the edges of the extensions 22 are passed through the slits 2l and the device is then moved horizontally along the top of the box until the curved edges 6 of the wings 5 extend within the slits 25, the portion 2 with its extensions 22 now lying against the underside of the box top. When the device is in this position the edges 23 of the extensions 21 are bearing lightly upon the upper face of the box and are adapted to have a rocking movement upon said upper face when the device is turned, as presently described, for the purpose of emptying the contents of the box.

By reason of the attachment having a rocking or pivotal bearing upon the upper face of the box, the attachment may be swung downward to cause the portion 3 of the same to lie fiat against the top of.

the box, thus efiectually closing the opening therein and preventing access of dust, dirt,

.orvermin to the contents.

When it is desired to remove some of the contents of the box, the attachment is swung upwardly by engaging the finger under the edge 4 of portion 3 and raisingsame until the portion 2 comes up against the underside of the box top. The box is then inverted and the contents may be sifted through the openings 17 in the portion 2 of the device. Whenthe desired quantity,

has been removed the box is again turned upright and the device swung again into its closed position to protect the contents.

Inasmuch as the attachment is very light in weight it will-be found in practice that there will be no tendency of the same when in its open position to fall down into the box. As a matter of fact the device need not be permitted to swing into open discharging position until after the box has been inverted, and thisvcan be accomplished by maintaining a finger upon the device to keep it closed until the box has been inverted, and then removing the finger to per- ,material, such as stifl' paper,

' said member comprising two portions mit of the device swinging open, and, after the desired quantity of material has been emptied, the device may be closed with thefinger and kept closed until the box is again in proper upright position. As long as the box is in its upright position the devlce remains closed and cannot fall down. into the box.

- The edge 4 of portion 3 is preferably turned up slightly as at 30 to enable the fingers to readily grasp same to swing the attachment into open position.

The sifting attachment is more firmly held in attached relation .to the box and at the same time a firmer hinged connection of the device With the box is obtained by means ofthe paper cover 31 which is usually applied to the exterior of paper boxes, the said cover being pasted down over the outer surface of the box top and also over the outer face of the portion 3 of the attachment.

My device can be made and sold upon the market as a sifting attachment readily applicable to almost any paper box or carton already in use, it being necessary only to cut an opening in the top of such box of proper dimensions and provide the slits 24, 25, at the corners of the opening.

By the provision of my sifting attachment-to-a box, I obtain the advantage that only the desired quantity of the contents may be removed without liability of too.

great aquantity of the contents being discharged, which is often the case when shaking material out of a box which is not provided with such an attachment.

Furthermore the contents will be sifted and the material will be prevented from being discharged in a lumpy condition.

- My device may be made of any suitable cardboard, tin, aluminuirn etc. and it may also be made in various sizes.

It will be observed that when the deviceis in its open or discharging position, the portion 3 acts as a chute to direct the material into a receptacle, to confine or chute. 4

What I claim is:

1. A. device of the character described comprising a trough-shaped member ada ted to have a pivotal connection with a box,

guide said material along the arranged at an angle to each other, one of said portions operating to close an opening in the box when the device is not in use and the other portion operating to close said opening when the member is swung into a osition for discharging the contents of the ox, the last-mentioned portion being provided with openings through which the contents are discharged when the device is in the said discharging position, and lateral wings closing the ends of the-said member.

and the wings 5 act 2. A device of the character described comprising a trough-shaped member adapted to have a pivotal connection with a box,

- said member comprising two portions arranged at an angle to each other, one of said portions operating to close an opening in the box when the device is not in use and the other portion operatin to close said opening when the member 1s swung into a position for discharging the contents of the box, the last-mentioned portion being provided with openings through which the contents are discharged when the device is in the said discharging position, and wing portions connecting the beforementioned angularlyarranged portions and arranged to leave the ends of the latter projecting beyond the said wings.

3. A blank for use as described comprising the integral portions2, 3, said portion 2 being provided with openings, the wings 5 integral with the portion 3 and having curved edges 6, and the tabs 9 integral with the wings, said blank being provided with notches 16 on opposite sides-at points on the line of juncture of the portions 2, 3.

4. The combination with a box provided in its top with an opening and slits 24,125, at the corners of said opening, of a sifting attachment comprising a trough-shaped member composed of portions 2, 3, arranged at an angle, the said portion 2 being provided with discharge openings, win s 5 joining the portions 2, 3, the length 0 -the opening in the box corresponding to the distance between said wings andbeing of less depth than that of the portion 2, said wings being arranged to leave the ends of portions 2, 3, projecting beyond the wings and adapted to have a swingin movement in the slits 25, and the ends 0 portion 3 projecting within the slits 24- and adapted to have a pivotal movement upon the upper face of the box.

5. Thecombination with a box having an opening in itstop, and slits 24, 25, at the corners of said opening, of a sifting attachment provided with discharge openings and having a pivotal bearing upon the upper face of the box and adapted to close over said opening when not in use and to be swung into a position to permit the contents to be discharged through the said discharge openings, said attachment having lateral extensions adapted to be passed through the slits 24, and lateral wings projecting within the slits 25.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

EMMA 0. DE VBIES.

W. W. SODEMAN. 

